Nursery (3 & 4 year olds)

Click to jump down to... Term dates ~ Curriculum

We are registered with Suffolk County Council to provide free sessions for 3 and 4 year olds. However we offer wrap around care, which means we offer childcare around the grant hours. Free grant places are for 15 hours per week, 8:30-11:30am or 1-4pm.

This means your child benefits from continuity of care whilst receiving Nursery Education.

Our day is made up of many parts, all are important, this is what makes us, us! We have our routine; this is what happens over all. Children work and play better within a routine, they know where they are. The children work within a framework of 'Free Play', this is not to be confused with 'free for all'! 'Free Play' means that children can choose what they work (play) with. We have carefully chosen the activities that are available to the children. We have 'events' during the day e.g. snack time, lunch time, circle time. These events are again a special time and also a 'learning time' for the children.

And much more...

The children's Nursery Education starts as soon as they arrive. We believe children learn best when they are happy and are happiest when they are playing. Play enables children to explore and experiment and is based on intrinsic motivation, therefore actively enhancing learning.

Play is natural and allows children to be themselves. We believe that all children are individuals and progress at different rates. We believe that all aspects of chi|dren's learning and development are equally important and are interdependent.

We have identified different aspects on how the children will learn during their time at our nursery:

• Through their knowledge and understanding:- this is what the children will begin to know and understand i.e. facts, names, concepts, size, weight, position, fairness etc.
• Through their skills: - what the children will be able to do i.e. co-operate, count, cut with scissors, observe and notice details, negotiate etc.
• Through their attitudes: - the different ways in which children approach their learning i.e. with persistence, curiosity, enthusiasm, confidence etc.

Term dates

Autumn 2012 Half Term - Monday 29th to Friday 2nd November
Last day of term Autumn term - Thursday 20th December

Spring Term 2013 - Tuesday 8th January to Thursday 28th March
Spring Half Term - Monday 18th February to Friday 22nd February

Summer Term 2013 - Monday 15th April to Friday 23rd July
Summer Half Term - Monday 27th May to Friday 31st May

Autumn Term 2013 - Tuesday 3rd September to Friday 20th December
Autumn Half Term - Monday 28th October to Friday 1st November

Curriculum

Autumn Curriculum 2013 (pdf file)

Summer Curriculum 2013 (pdf file)

Spring Curriculum 2013 after half term (pdf file)

Spring Curriculum 2013 up to half term (pdf file)

The Early Years Foundation Stage

Children learn and begin to develop as soon as they are born. The Foundation Stage takes you from birth right up to Key Stage 1.

We work in partnership with parents and carers to promote the learning and development of all children in our care to ensure they are ready for school.

There are 7 areas of learning and each have early learning goals that they should have attained by the end of reception year at school.

Our educational programme is shaped around all 7 areas of learning and development.

Three areas are particularly crucial for ingniting children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning and for building their capacity to learn, form relationships and thrive. These three areas are called the PRIME areas. These areas are particularly applicable to children up to 2.

We also support children in 4 specific areas, through which the 3 prime areas
are strengthened and used.

We encourage children to be active, interdependent learners (physically and mentally) who:

• Are curious, explore and experiment using their senses.
• Make informed choices.
• Represent their ideas in a range of different ways.
• Take responsibility.
• Talk about their experiences, raise questions and seek reasons.
• Want to try new things and are willing to learn from their mistakes.
• Persist until they have completed an activity to their own satisfaction

But most importantly the children do need to have a bit of
FUN !!!